Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath makes his inaugural visit to Houston Independent School District since the state’s intervention

Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath made his inaugural visit to the Houston Independent School District on Tuesday, marking his first appearance at a campus since the announcement of a state takeover of the district.

During his tour of Kashmere High School, one of the initial 28 schools implementing the state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles’ “New Education System,” Commissioner Morath spoke with. The reform initiative aims to enhance academic performance, with early indicators showing progress in standardized test scores such as STARR and NWEA exams.

“It’s encouraging to witness the positive changes taking place as our students require improved academic support, and I’m pleased to see some evidence of that today,” Morath remarked.

However, both Morath and Miles cautioned that while test scores have shown improvement, it is premature to draw definitive conclusions.

“It’s still early days,” Morath emphasized.

The visit occurred a day prior to the deadline for principals of 24 other underperforming HISD schools to express interest in opting into the New Education System. The district is set to announce additional NES schools on Friday, with six struggling schools already slated to join.

Despite some progress, the NES program has faced criticism, including concerns over staffing reductions and increased teacher turnover.

“I’m not impressed at all. I think this was another way for Mr. Miles and Commissioner Morath to promote the NES schools,” remarked Jackie Anderson, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers.

Morath also visited to assess the district’s progress in special education services.

In November, 13 Investigates uncovered the presence of uncertified teachers in special education roles, a violation of state regulations.

In response to inquiries about the special education program, an HISD spokesperson provided an update:

“Houston ISD continues to increase the identification of students needing special education services. As of December 2023, we completed 1,158 evaluations. By comparison, in December 2022, HISD had evaluated 758 students.

When evaluations occur, we hold Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) meetings within 30 days. In the 2022-2023 school year, HISD missed 515 initial ARD timelines. Currently, we have reduced that number to nine. We are focused on meeting compliance requirements and providing timely services.

Amid a national shortage of speech providers, we have recruited qualified professionals to support our students. Initially, 37 campuses lacked speech providers, but we have reduced this to three. We expect to fill all positions in the coming weeks.”